The Georgia Constitution mandates that each county has a sheriff, and legislation designates the sheriff as the chief law enforcement officer in the county. In most counties with a sheriff and a county police department, the sheriff voluntarily relinquishes the general law enforcement responsibilities to the county police department, although he cannot be forced to do so. The sheriff retains the authority to intervene in any law enforcement effort within the county when he felt compelled to do so. This includes actions initiated by deputies of this agency who have witnessed a violation of law or in the absence of a county police officer.

1. As a Law Enforcement Officer: The sheriff has the responsibility of protecting life and property and for preservation of the public peace. This includes all law enforcement functions associated with those endeavors.

2. As an Officer of the Court: In addition to providing physical security in the courtrooms and courthouse, the sheriff must serve as bailiff to the superior court or designate deputies to serve in that capacity. Bailiff duties include escorting juries to the courtroom, and if requested to do so, to their meals and hotel rooms. Bailiffs otherwise attend to the needs of the jury and guard them against outside influences. The sheriff is charged with serving all court summons, including subpoenas and civil process papers. In addition, the sheriff must execute all court-ordered levies on property to satisfy judgments- in court actions. The sheriff is also responsible for the transportation of mentally ill residents of his county to mental health emergency receiving facilities.

3. As a Detention Officer: The sheriff is the official jailer of the county and is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of all inmates. The courts have established strict guidelines that the sheriff must follow in providing these things to his inmates. The sheriff is also responsible for preventing the escape of inmates from the jail.

Don't Be A Victim

Scam artists are at it again. Perpetrators of the latest reappearance of this con-game are falsely claiming to be from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. They use telephone numbers that look official. The caller may say the citizen has a warrant or must pay fines or else. The scammers request personal information and of course, money. Folks, no one from the real Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is going to call you and ask for your personal information and/or cash. If you receive one of these calls, make note of the number, hang up and call your local law enforcement agency to report it.

Note: Real deputies looking for fugitives don't pick up the phone or do FaceTime or Skype. They roll out.

There's a new sharp shooter at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and she has a new prestigious certification to prove it. Deputy LaShira Norwood has recently become Fulton County's first female sniper who is also a SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) Team operator. There have been women on SWAT and Deputy Norwood is the first to perform this critical, dual role. Deputy Norwood recently completed sniper school at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia.

A year ago, Deputy Norwood expressed an interest in becoming a sniper. Sgt. John Farrar, a sniper and the SWAT Team Commander, was impressed and agreed to train her Saturdays on their own time.

Deputy Norwood went to sniper school in February with law enforcement officers from across the state. She was the only female in the class. Deputy Norwood worked independently to finish at the top of the class.

Deputy Norwood said, "I am proud to represent the agency and females in law enforcement. I hope that leading by example will show young girls that they can achieve their goals." Her ascension to the role of sniper is extraordinary yet not unexpected. Deputy Norwood is a solid partner who is always prepared because she trains harder than most. Colleagues describe her as being highly intelligent, professional and caring.

Deputy LaShira Norwood is assigned to the Law Enforcement Division of the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. She executes warrants, serves civil papers, and enforces state and federal laws. She has been a SWAT Team Operator since August of 2016.

Be Seen Be Safe

Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson is pleased to announce the agency is a recipient of a 2019 grant to encourage young citizens to Be Seen and Be Safe on the roadways to prevent students from being involved in vehicular crashes, this grant award will be used to fund the Fulton County Sheriff's Office Public Safety: Sheriff Jackson is grateful to the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) which has been granted federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to promote the development and implementation of innovative programs to address highway safety problems relating to alcohol/impaired driving, speed, pedestrian & bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, occupant protection and traffic records. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office community services unit will teach the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration Children Pedestrian safety curriculum to elementary school aged children in Fulton County. The grant award is for $7,048.00. Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is also planning to coordinate the agency annual bike rodeo in the spring.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is committed to keeping children and families safe. The agency's Constitutional mandate requires that deputies provide support and educational services to the community as a method of preventing and reducing crime.

Ready to Respond

Technology on Display

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has an array of high-tech tools and highly trained personnel ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

The GA Fulton VINE system is a service through which victims of crime can use the telephone or Internet to search for information regarding the custody status of their offender and to register to receive telephone and e-mail notification when the offender’s custody status changes. The VINE toll-free number for the GA Fulton VINE system is (877) 994-8463. This service is provided to assist Victims of Crime who have a right to know about their offender's custody status. Click here to VineLink